Tears of Snow
by TheEphemeralDream
Summary: Kiyomi has been dabbling in medical ninjutsu for 4 years, hiding from the cruel world that killed her teammate. But under the guidance of Tsunade and Kakashi, she ventures back out into the ninja world, taking on missions for Konoha's sake. She doesn't expect to meet Neji, another lost soul. A tale of love, friendship, and tears, and discovering the bonds that hold people together.
1. Prologue

Team 5: Kanagawa Mizura, Tanaka Haruki, Miyagi Kiyomi, Hamada Yuju.

That is the faded inscription on the back of that battered photograph I've gazed at every night since the formation of our team before I succumbed to sleep. The four of us, standing beneath that ancient beech tree; smiling, happy, whole. Mizura-sensei stands in the back, a small smile on her lips, her eyes twinkling, her arms around her new, eager students. There's a slight hesitation in her smile that has long since disappeared, reappeared, and disappeared again, because we were the first team she ever mentored. Her auburn hair is sleek and the absence of silver that is now much too evident is disconcerting. Haru hadn't yet reached his growth spurt, and was a head shorter than Mizura-sensei. His grin spans from ear-to-ear, an infectious smile that I've always envied. His grin is careless, blithe, naïve; not like the oftentimes sombre man I still meet up with a few times a month. I look shockingly young too, though still slightly taller than Haru. The younger me has hair reaches just past her shoulders, and she wear her new Konoha forehead protector proudly. Her smile is innocent and genuine despite a crooked tooth, because back then, she hadn't learned how to fake a smile yet. That girl hadn't needed to.

And Yuju … he's perfect in the picture, an impeccable statue, frozen in time. Unlike us, not one hair is out of place, not one thread on his clothes astray. The picture of him is so beautiful because it managed to capture a rare scintillating smile.

Sometimes silent tears can still make their way down my cheeks, mourning that boy who died so young – too young – and I fall asleep hoping, praying that he has gone on in peace. But sometimes, I still have nightmares.

_Kiyomi, you could have saved me. _

Update: thanks so much to my friend who did the picture of Kiyomi, which is the image on the side of the story. She is an amazing artist – check out her other works, with the username milysnow at deviantart. (no link, because doesn't allow links outside of its own site)


	2. The Calling

The sun shines through my window blaringly. I must have forgotten to close the blinds the night before. With a groan, I roll over on my bed and toss the sheets over my head. Just a few more minutes …

The phone rings. I sigh, irritated as I crawl out of bed, glancing at the clock as I make my way to the small kitchen where my phone hangs on the wall. 7:01. Too early for house calls, I should think.

"Hello?" I murmur into the phone.

"Kiyomi? It's me, Shizune." Her voice is urgent. I blink a few times, dispelling my grogginess as quickly as I can.

"What's wrong?"

"Inuzuka Kiba was found early this morning and sustains serious injuries. Most of the damage is internal, so Tsunade-sama is personally taking charge of the operation. But since Sakura is on a mission right now, Tsunade needs an extra hand, and quickly."

"Okay," I say, trying to pull on my tunic with one hand, "I'll be there as soon as possible." I hear Shizune's name being screamed by what is obviously Tsunade's voice, and the line goes dead. I wrestle the tunic over my undergarments, and run back to the bedroom to find my knee-length leggings, pulling them on in a matter of seconds. My hair is a mess, and I tie it into a messy knot before pulling on my soft leather boots. I can feel the little knife nestled next to my right foot in case of emergencies, and the little cyanide pill resting in a tiny, concealed pocket in the left. My two most important items.

I open the windows and leap from my third-storey window to the building across the street – it's a shortcut I've taken many times since I started working at the hospital. There is little to steal from my house anyways, so I leave the window open.

Arriving at the hospital in a matter of minutes, I sprint through the front doors, ignoring the strange looks I get from those in the waiting room. The nurses don't even look twice. No time to wait for the elevator, and I run up two flights of stairs to the emergency room in record time. I'm breathless when I push open the door to see the Tsunade hunched over a tall, feral-looking man who's obviously in severe pain. There's a massive dog by the bed, tongue lolling, and I notice a cast on one of its hind legs. Shizune isn't in the room; she must be healing someone else.

"Tsunade-sama?" I call after taking a deep breath. If Tsunade can't handle this alone, this certainly is serious.

"Take over for me here, I've got to work on his lung," she says sharply without any prelude. She takes her hand off his chest, where I can see a raw, gaping wound just a few inches from where his heart should be.

I move to the man's side quickly, placing my hand over the wound and expelling a steady stream of chakra into his system. I can feel that his coronary arteries have been recently repaired, as if held together by fragile string, but all his heart needs now is to heal. Tsunade has done the necessary repairs, so all I have to do is hasten the growth of cells. My part, for now, is simple, and I take the liberty of looking at the man's face.

He couldn't have been much older than me. Two triangular, red markings declare him to be part of the Inuzuka clan. His face is rather gaunt-looking, and is covered in a sheen of sweat, dirt, and blood. His eyes are nearly shut in pain, but he squints up at me. I force a smile at him.

"Don't worry, you'll be okay," I say, even though I have no idea whether or not he's all right. I turn to Tsunade, but she doesn't look at me. A feeling of uneasiness makes its way to my stomach – was she avoiding my gaze because there was no hope, or because she was simply too busy? I can't ask her how much damage had been done, not in front of the subject himself.

Tsunade's face is tight in concentration as she weaves her chakra like an infinitesimally thin thread in and out of what I assume is severed and damaged tissue. The patient suddenly gasps for breath, and his body arches off the bed.

"Hold him down!" Tsunade yells, and I hasten to oblige. I have to lift both hands off him to do so, and I know the damage on his heart may begin anytime again.

"I need another person here!" I exclaim. But then I almost slap myself on the forehead. What am I, an Academy student? I form a seal and a Shadow Clone is formed right beside me. Since no real finesse is required to hold him down, my clone places a firm hand on his shoulder and another on his side – the side Tsunade isn't working on. I start healing his heart again.

The operation drags on for hours, but I am rewarded with satisfaction when Tsunade finally announces that he will be all right.

Later, as I'm about to leave, Tsunade stops me and asks for a word. She brings me into an empty office and we both sit down.

"Kiyomi, I didn't ask you to come here simply to heal Kiba-kun's wounds. I would also like to discuss something with you, and ask a favour of you."

"Okay," I said warily. What could the Hokage ask of me? An uncomfortable pit forms in my gut.

She gave a sigh. "It's been four years, Kiyomi." I inhaled sharply. I know exactly what she's talking about. _Yuju_.

Four years and two days, to be exact.

"We're short on personnel. We need you back up on your feet."

I fidget. "I can come in more often," I suggest, even though I know that's not what she means. The uncomfortable pit in my stomach opens up wider, threatening to swallow me whole.

"You know what I mean, Kiyomi," she says quietly. "You're a valuable kunoichi, and I'll be damned if I have to send another eighteen-year-old out on an A-rank mission. We need you on the front lines, not hidden here as a medic. We can get by here without you."

"_I'm _eighteen."

"But you're you. The boy we just healed is who I'm talking about. A chuunin, and a good one at that, but it's practically homicide on my part, sending him out like that."

_You never actually promoted me to jounin. _But I keep that to myself. "Tsunade-sama, with all due respect, I haven't trained for four years. How do you expect me to jump right back into missions, especially amid all this chaos?" I demand, as courteously as I can. The pit is growing, and I feel a sort of pressure around my skull, pushing in on me …

"You will train for two weeks, and by the end of that I will promote you to a tokubetsu jonin – but for all purposes, you will be like any other jonin. I will consider your expertise in healing when assigning missions to you, but there will be little other difference. You will be expected to fight, and I will put no limit on what level of mission you will be assigned, within your capabilities, of course. "

_No limit_ … what she means by that is that killing will not remain a taboo, as far as I'm concerned.

Tsunade takes a moment to study my expression. I try to compose my features.

"As for who will train you, I've decided upon Hatake Kakashi." My eyebrows shoot up. Not Mizura-sensei? "I understand you have become close to him since Yuju's death?"

I flinch. This is the first time she has said it so bluntly. "We … we understand one another. But Tsunade-sama … well, to be equally blunt, I expected Mizura-sensei."

She sighs, and for once, I see true weariness behind her young appearance. "Mizura is … indisposed at this moment. She … has had similar troubles, and she thinks it her fault."

"But I visited her last year! And more often the year before that. She didn't seem to be … well, incapable of training me."

"She has been suffering much, like you. And it is not only because of Yuju's death. It is because of what has come to be since then." She scrutinizes me. "In part, it is because of you, Kiyomi. Seeing you fade into a mere medical-nin after witnessing all your potential has broken some part of her. She may not voice it, but as you regress further and further from what she had expected to be your future – joining ANBU, becoming the Head Jonin – she's losing hope. She's aging impossibly quickly. This is another reason I wanted to hasten your return to the real world. You can't hide like this forever, Kiyomi. Think about it – more and more are dying out there. I know you make a big difference here at the hospital, but you would save many more lives, maybe indirectly, maybe not, out there."

I open my mouth to speak, but Tsunade shakes her head.

"I didn't talk to you today to hear you argue. You've grown up, and you've grown a lot. You can make your own decisions now. I want you to think on it, and from here on out, I'm not going to be involved. I've spoken to Kakashi, and you should just give your response to him. This is your life, Kiyomi, so I won't interfere more than necessary. But … it's _your_ life. Not his."

Author's note:

Hi everyone, I'm Jennifer, and this is my debut callout, the first of many to come ;). Well, that's the first chapter, and it's a bit shorter than what most later chapters will be. My main concern about this first chapter is that I haven't pinned down Tsunade correctly. Kiyomi is supposed to be a quiet soul, but would Tsunade talk that much (with so much patience) normally? Please give me feedback – I am really quite concerned about this. 

Also, please tell me if my description of medical ninjutsu is way off. I did a lot of research, but in the end, I still needed lots of "original ideas" … in other words, I made a lot of it up. 

I know Neji hasn't even been mentioned yet, but I find some fanfics rush into the love story too quickly. I want to build a bit of background – Kiyomi is not a simple character. It's a bit of an information-filler, and it's definitely not my favourite chapter. 

Please, give me feedback! I am in love with writing, but I also love constructive criticism. Since I'm going into pretty much _the hardest science program my university had to offer _… this is my only creative outlet :( I'm counting on you guys!


	3. Expectations

Two days later, I find myself pushing aside the low curtain at Ichiraku's and prodding the back of a figure dressed entirely in orange.

"Naruto-kun?"

He finishes his slurp of the ramen noodles, and turns his blue eyes on me. "Oh hi … Kiyomi-chan, is it?"

"Yes," I force a smile. I'm actually quite surprised he remembers me, having only seen me a couple of times when he dropped by to greet Sakura at the hospital. "I came to ask you a favour. Do you have any idea where Kakashi-san is right now, or has been lately?"

"Hmm," he says, slightly muffled as he drinks the soup. "I heard he's doing lots of secret missions. We don't meet up very much anymore," he says as his face falls, just a little. But then he smiles again, "I heard from Granny Tsunade that he'll be back in a couple of days, max. If I see him, I'll definitely tell him you're looking for him!"

A real smile – I haven't seen one of those in a while.

"Thank you," I say. _For your smile as well as the favour. _

"No problem," he says, mouth full.

I decide to order two bowls of ramen to go.

I walk away, frowning slightly. If Kakashi is doing lots of secret missions, how will he have time to train me? Wouldn't that just spread our forces even thinner? I sigh. Well, there's not much point staying out any longer looking for Kakashi. The sky is indigo, and if I'm about to start training soon, I'd better set some affairs in order. I walk to Haru's apartment, which takes about seven minutes from the ramen shop, and I'm not surprised to see his lights off. His window is open, so I simply hop through it, making sure the ramen soup doesn't spill.

I see my old teammate sprawled across his bed, sans shirt. His blanket is tangled around one denim-clad leg, but most of the blanket has just fallen to the ground. I push some garbage and unwashed dishes off his table, bringing the dishes to the sink. I decide to let him sleep a while longer, and turn on the dimmer set of lights in his kitchen.

Haru reacted to Yuju's death very differently from me. The first year, he started drinking, even though he was underage, and often started fights for no good reason at bars. In time however, he turned his life back around and threw that passion and anger, into his missions and fighting the enemy. Within a year of his recovery, he was a well-established jonin.

It was a shock to me when I realized how much little Haru had accomplished while I was in my little medical-nin world. I'd simply dropped out of my old role, dropped out of missions, and never began again. Haru grew a lot, physically as well. Though I had always been tall, he was now a good half head taller than me. He was probably taller than Kakashi, I would say. He matured, and he did it essentially alone, much to my regret. I should have been there for him when he turned his rage into violence that first year, but I wasn't. And with his maturation came his strength.

His reputation as a jonin is now flawless. His mission completion rate is one of the highest, and his teammates have never died on a mission, as far as I know. He's in constant demand for high-ranking missions, and terrible for him actually, because I know he needs more sleep than anyone I know. He sleeps on average eight hours a day, but with his nearly-sleepless missions, he makes up for it by sleeping for twelve hours straight on a resting day like this. That's why I wasn't surprised in the least to see him asleep, even at dinnertime.

Even though he's a ninja, he doesn't wake for almost an hour since I entered his house. I'd finished washing all his dishes and stuffing the garbage into a large bag to be thrown out later, and had brewed myself a pot of tea. The ramen was cold by now, but we'd certainly had worse.

"Kiyomi?" I hear him mutter from the bedroom – I'd left the door open.

"I'm in the kitchen," I call. He didn't seem to find it strange that I was in his apartment without notice … well, he didn't seem freaked out by it, at least.

"Hey," he appears in the doorway, yawning widely. He still hasn't put on a shirt. His jeans hang low over his hips, and I roll my eyes. _Show-off. _Though admittedly, the view he's showing off isn't much of an eyesore. There was a time when he was just a skinny little kid, not a huge muscular man who can sit down on a simple wooden chair with surprising grace.

He doesn't yet ask why I'm here.

"I brought ramen soup from Ichiraku's … though it's probably cold by now." I hold out a bowl and a pair of disposable chopsticks to him. The bowl is still slightly warm. Snapping apart my own chopsticks, I open the lid of the plastic bowl and pick out a piece of chicken.

"Thanks," he says, following suit. "I'd forgotten that I hadn't really eaten yet."

"How was your last mission?" Being a member of the ANBU, he wasn't permitted to tell anyone (besides the Hokage) about his missions, but since I was a medical-nin anyways, I knew most of what was going on, whether it was from the Hokage's mouth or from healing ANBU members.

"It was okay. A member of my team had a broken leg when we got back, but you guys fixed him right back up."

"And you?"

"A couple of scratches. A bit of internal damage – nothing that was serious," he said hastily, seeing my expression. Changing the subject, he asked, "And how is it at the hospital?"

"It's okay, I guess." I hesitate, putting down my bowl. "There are a lot more patients lately, and cases are getting more serious. I was called in at seven in the morning today to help heal a kid – well, no, he was my age, but he got sent on an A-class mission for which he was apparently under-qualified."

"Sounds pretty serious," he frowns, but he keeps eating. I feel as if I've lost my appetite.

We remain silent for a few minutes, and he eats while I pick at my food. It's something I used to never do, but after Yuju's death, my appetite disappeared. Somewhat like him, because he always ate so little. But even so, he was strong even if he looked frail, and at that time, he could have defeated both of us. His genjutsu abilities were years and years beyond his age, and even Mizura-sensei was shocked by what he was capable of.

"Listen, Kiyomi," Haru says suddenly, interrupting my thoughts. "You know I love spending time with you, but I know you wouldn't have come like this without a reason. You're really making me worry. So spit it out, whatever you need to say."

I swallow. At least now I don't have to worry about transitioning it into a conversation. "I won't be working at the hospital much anymore. Tsunade-sama asked – well, more like demanded me to go back on missions. I'm supposed to find Kakashi-san and train with him for a couple of weeks, and then I'll be sent out on missions as a tokubetsu jonin."

Haru is silent for a moment, and he stares down at his bowl of noodles. "Well, I can't say I'm not glad she's put some pressure on you."

I blink, shocked. Of all things, this isn't what I expected Haru to say. "What?"

"Kiyomi, don't tell me you haven't seen it in yourself. You're nothing like that girl I met almost six years ago now." He hesitates, but he's not stopping, I realize as I stare at him. "You're … just a shell now. Of Team Five, you had the most potential, maybe second after Yuju. Back then, you shone, and especially to Yuju and I, you were stunning. But you've always blamed yourself for Yuju's death, even though you _know_ these things happen on missions all the time. In the end, you've disappeared. No, the _real_ you. You're not really here. You're living in the past, and looking into the future, hoping for a better tomorrow. Well, face it, Kiyomi, you've got to seize today if you're going to have a better future. Even Mizura-sensei is being affected by what you're doing. She thought you'd come out the strongest, but Yuju's death broke you. And seeing one of her students broken, and the other dead … she's suffering. Look, I know you've discovered your strengths in healing, and that's great. But healing never interested you before. I know you went into it only because you wouldn't be hurting anyone. You'd be safe and out of the way – you wouldn't see anyone get killed in battle, and you'd only be helping the wounded. You don't want the guilt that comes with being a ninja anymore, but what you don't see right now is that you're carrying all the guilt in the world for Yuju's death."

I sit back, frozen as if he had slapped me. Then, slowly a flush creeps across my face – shame, but hot, inexplicable rage too. Deep down inside, I knew what he was saying was exactly what I had feared I was doing for so long, but hearing him say it out loud made me ashamed.

"I won't forget about Yuju," I hiss, eyes burning with unshed tears. "I won't forget about him like you have."

And Haru inhales sharply as I stand up abruptly, the chair crashing to the ground. The soup from my barely-touched bowl of ramen spills onto the table as I push away. There's a drone in my ears nearly blocks out Haru's angry shout for me to stop as I stride back toward the bedroom to leave through the window.

But then there's a domed bubble surrounding the two of us, one of Haru's damned jutsus.

I whirl around to face him, fury etched on my face. "What do you want? You've told me all you needed, haven't you?"

But as Haru raises his head, ever so slightly, I see evidence of tears at his eyes. "Kiyomi, you have to learn to let go. I haven't forgotten about Yuju. I would never forget. But that's why I'm moving on, and doing what he would have liked me to do. What is my duty to do."

"Then you didn't love him the way I did."

Anger flashes in Haru's eyes.

"Listen to yourself, Kiyomi! Can't you hear what you're saying?"

"Let me out of here," I snarl. I know it's useless to try and escape, because this is one of Haru's signature jutsus. The inescapable bubble.

He shakes his head. "I won't let you out until you let yourself understand."

In a split second, I've pulled my knife out from my boot and press the blade to Haru's throat.

"Undo the jutsu."

He closes his eyes. "No. We both know you won't do it."

I snarl again. The way I'm feeling right now, there's little I won't do. I press the knife in harder, until I see a drop of blood form, and trickle down to the hollow of his throat.

"Haru!" I shout, nearly succumbing to tears.

And suddenly the knife clatters to the floor, and he's holding my two hands behind me with just one of his, and the bubble around us disappears.

"Kiyomi," he murmurs, and I try in vain to squirm away. "Kiyomi, you need to move on. I know it's been four long years for you, but it'll be a lifetime of long years if you don't stop acting this way."

I gulp back a sob, but the tears finally start pouring out. Hot, unstoppable tears.

"It wasn't your fault. It was his choice. You couldn't have stopped him, even if you'd given your life trying. We were young and inexperienced. It was a disaster, yes, but it was not your doing, and it should not be your burden.

"Kiyomi," he says again, this time with a small, inexplicable smile, "I once loved you. I thought I would spend the rest of my life with you, but then I realized it wasn't what you wanted. The thought has probably never crossed your mind." His smile turns sad, and I stop fighting his grip in shock. "But I've accepted it – yes, it can't be compared to seeing Yuju die, but I learned from both of these events that things don't always go the way you want, the way you hope."

His hands loosen, and he says, "I'm going to let go of you now, because I don't think you're up for much more fighting. It's late. Go home and sleep. You made the right choice, listening to Hokage-sama."

He places his hands on my cheeks, and I feel a twinge – of what? surprise? guilt? – when he kisses my forehead.

"Goodnight," he whispers to me.

I step back hastily. The last tear makes its way down the lines of my face, pausing at my jaw before falling to the floor.

"I'm sorry, Haru. I'm so sorry."

And I flee.

Hello, peoples of the world! How is it? Ah, I know, Neji's still dead for all I've mentioned, but please, exercise your patience :D I know I'm introducing quite an important character who isn't even in the actual anime/manga, but I think that's quite important. Naruto isn't a love story, and very few of the characters actually show affection (other than friendship), which makes it difficult for me to imagine any character pairings. Neji/Hinata fanfics (although there are some _ab-so-lute-ly phenomenal _ones out there) have me sort of cringing in a corner because GOD PEOPLE, THEY'RE COUSINS. And their fathers are twins, which make them almost like step-siblings … I just find it hard to suspend my disbelief there. Neji/Ten-ten is a bit better, but I don't really see their personalities matching. Even though Ten-ten is supposedly a Pisces, I totally don't see it. She's like … Capricorny. :S And seeing as Neji is a Cancer and I swear Ten-ten must be a Capricorn, I don't see them getting along well. Admittedly, Neji is a bit strange for a Cancer, but I'm using the idea that his Cancerian nature is buried deep down due to necessity, and all of his Cancer-ness (aka awesomeness … sigh, yes, I'm a Cancer too) comes vooshing out to meet Kiyomi :D Oh god, I'm going off-topic. Anyways, in terms of zodiac, I'd say Kiyomi is what I perceive to be a Pisces, and Haru … well, maybe a Sexy Scorpio ;) (haha just kidding, most of the Scorpios I know are simply repulsive). But Haru will be independent and strong-willed. Kiyomi … well, my main characters tend to evolve drastically, so we'll see. :)

A line from a Taylor Swift song that I've always loved:

"You used to shine so bright but I watched all of it fade" – from _You're Not Sorry. _

I don't really listen to English music, but this line has stayed with me for years now. It's fitting in this chapter, as Haru looks at Kiyomi.

Please, feed me with feedback! :D 

-Jennifer


	4. The First Step

When I wake the next morning, it takes me a moment before I remember what happened the previous night. My heart sinks as I recall what I said to Haru. My only consolation is that he knows me well enough to know my accusations weren't what I really thought.

And what did he mean about being in love with me? That … that would be impossible. Shouldn't I have seen by now, if that was true? It's been more than five years since we met.

And they say girls are frustrating and unpredictable. What a lie. Even someone like _Haru_ can bewilder.

There's not really much to do today, so I head to the hospital out of habit. The nurses don't mind when I come by at all; they're usually ever-so-slightly understaffed.

"Good morning," I say to the nurse at the front desk. She seems to recognize me.

"Good morning, Kiyomi-san! Are you working today?"

"Only if anyone needs help," I say, and then grimace. I sound too selfless. "I have nothing to do today so I thought I should stop by," I add.

"Oh," she says, "that would be wonderful! Maybe you can stop by and ask Shizune-sama. She's up on the third floor, I think."

I thank her and head up the stairs.

As I ascend the first flight of stairs, I happen to glance through the transparent window of a door leading to the main rooms on the second floor. A long brown mane watches my eye and I turn back to look again. It's Mizura-sensei, and she looks like she's waiting to be called in for an appointment. I frown. The first floor is emergencies, the second for psychological treatment. Could what Tsunade said before be true?

I push open the door, but Mizura doesn't even turn around.

"Mizura-sensei?" I call, and she jumps in surprise. This makes me even more apprehensive. She had always been very perceptive and collected; during the few missions we did together, she never failed to discover an ambush in advance.

She turns, and I almost jump too in surprise.

For someone who didn't know her, it would be nothing. But the Mizura I knew always had makeup on, and she always looked gorgeous. Today, she was bare-faced and more tired-looking than I had ever seen her. She wore simple and unflattering clothes. There are dark circles under her eyes.

"Oh, Kiyomi-chan," she said with a weak smile.

"I haven't seen you in a while," I say carefully, pretending I hadn't noticed how terrible she looks.

"No, no, I suppose not," she says distractedly, "we're all off on our own paths now, aren't we?" Her eyes finally focus on mine. "Are you still working at the hospital?"

If what Tsunade said is true, about my failures being part of the reason why she's been deteriorating, then what I say next should help.

"Only for another week or so," I say, watching her face warily. "I'm going back to doing missions," I confess.

"That's great, Kiyomi," she says.

But her expression barely changes. Only the slightest hint of surprise registers, and it's barely even noteworthy. How long has it really been since I'd met up with her?

_Eight months_, my mind tells me. The last time Haru invited us over. I hadn't noticed anything wrong with her though, not then. Only a few gray hairs. What could have happened in the last eight months that changed her so drastically?

"So why exactly are you here, Mizura-sensei?" As if I didn't know what floor this is.

But Mizura doesn't get a chance to answer. A medical-nin comes out of the office with a middle-aged man, who thanks her and leaves.

"Ah, Mizura-san, you're here. And you too, Kiyomi-sempai?"

"Good morning, Reiko-san," I say, and what little emotion Mizura shows is enough for me to tell that she is embarrassed. I can't ask Reiko what Mizura is here for, because I know she would feel pressured to tell me, a higher-up medical-nin, but she is nevertheless bound by her confidentiality as a medical-nin. Without another pause, I say, "Well, it was nice to talk to you again, sensei. I must be off now; Shizune-san needs my help on the third floor. I look forward to seeing you again, sensei."

With the way she's been acting, I really don't. I scold myself for being misunderstanding. There must be something going on, I muse as she hurries into the office, shoulders hunched as if fighting against a strong gale.

I shake my head. Perhaps I could ask Shizune – she understands what happened to our team.

But I meet only Sakura in the medicine room on the third floor.

"Hi Sakura-chan," I say, and she looks up in surprise. "How was your mission?

"Kiyomi," she says, giving me a hug. I have become accustomed to her displays of affection for a while now, and appreciate them quite sincerely. "The mission wasn't anything special. It was just to retrieve some herbs. Tsunade said didn't trust any of the other chuunin," she said, making a face.

"_I'm_ a chuunin," I say, feigning indignation. I know I can say these things around Sakura because the two of us understand our relationship with one another, and our respective relationships with Tsunade. Tsunade had once offered for me to become her apprentice, but I made it clear that though I was venturing into healing now, I had no intent of becoming a medical-nin for the rest of my life. I've regretted the rash decision a couple of times in the last few years; indeed, if I _had_ agreed, Tsunade probably wouldn't have decided to push me to leave my position. But what Haru said was right – I never had much interest in medical ninjutsu, and it only came easily to me because I was used to handling precise amounts of chakra. Sakura, on the other hand, worked very hard and very diligently to come to the level she is at now, and I think Sakura overall makes a better apprentice to Tsunade. I had my own inherited skills that I honed, while Tsunade's chakra-enhanced strength was something Sakura learned eagerly. And even their personalities were similar, in a way; Sakura's temper could flare up, just like Tsunade's, but they were both clear-headed under pressure. I couldn't say the latter about myself.

"But we all consider you a jounin," she says, grinning. I smile at that; some of the other nurses have appeared quite intimidated by me. I suppose I look a bit older than Sakura, even though we're the same age. Most of the nurses call me "sempai", like Reiko, but there are a few others with whom I get along. They aren't so scared around me.

"So where is Shizune-san today?" I ask as she reaches up to take a little vial of medicine from a high shelf. She glances at the label, and frowns.

"Would you mind getting me the Cell Growth Stimulant?"

I'm a bit taller than Sakura, so I reach the shelf with ease and retrieve a larger container with relative ease. I take the vial from Sakura and put it in its original place.

"Thanks," she says as we exit the room. "What were you saying? Oh, right, Shizune-san. Tsunade is having an unplanned meeting with the Feudal Lord, and she needed Shizune to help her out. You know how she gets around people like him." She throws me a meaningful look.

I sure do know. Tsunade's temper … does it _get_ out of control.

I'll have to find Shizune some other day and ask her about Mizura.

After I leave the hospital, I head to Ichiraku's to buy dinner. I don't usually eat out, but today I don't feel up to cooking dinner for myself.

I'm almost there when I hear someone calling my name.

"Naruto?"

He runs towards me, panting. "Kiyomi-chan, I was trying to find you. Sakura-chan said you just left the hospital." He hands me a little scrap of parchment. "It's from Kakashi. He didn't trust that I could remember it all," he says, making a face.

"Oh," I say in surprise. I hadn't expected to make contact with Kakashi so soon. "Thank you so much Naruto!"

"It's nothing," he says with a bright smile.

On a whim, I ask, "Have you had dinner yet? Come, I'll treat you to ramen."

"Awesome!" he exclaims, and I smile. It's hard not to smile around him, to be honest. And it's quite a wonderful feeling. Sometimes I have to remind myself of how strong this boy really is; he proved it during the war.

We talk for a while about trivial matters, but he makes me laugh. He is someone I don't have memories with, and that's what makes the difference. Even the sweetest memories I have now are tinged with regret, guilt, and sadness. I almost feel like a different person altogether.

While Naruto is eating his second bowl of ramen – I insisted that he should eat more to keep up his strength – I read the note Kakashi gives me. It's short, only two lines.

_Training? Meet me at the Third Training Ground at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow. Don't be late._

After Naruto finished eating, and I pay the bill, I ask him for directions to the Third Training Ground.

"Hmm," he says, "that's where our team had our first lesson! It's northeast of the hospital, at the river." He gives me a few more landmarks I can use to find my way, and I thank him sincerely. We bid each other goodnight, and I start walking home.

It's still quite bright out, and it occurs to me that I haven't trained properly for years. At least, not daily training. My strength, speed and stamina now are probably only a fraction of what they could be. I jog to the little patch of forest near the hot springs, which should serve me well as a training ground, and practice until the night sky is all I can see.

A bit of a filler. But I needed to introduce Sakura and Mizura, as well as get Kakashi's reply. As a little _fyi_, Kiyomi lives (if you look at the Konoha map, the simple little green one you can find via Google images) between the Uzumaki clan and the hot springs, which puts her home close to the ramen shop, which in turn is on the way from her home to the hospital. As always, please leave feedback! :)


	5. Imprints in Snow

So I wake up at six, something I haven't done out of necessity for years now, and sit up in bed to prevent myself from falling asleep again. Tsunade isn't a morning person, so the occasional mornings she decides to teach us are from, at the earliest, nine o'clock.

My bedside table isn't cluttered like Haru's. It has a lamp, the photograph, my alarm clock, and my brush. I pick it up and comb through my hair, which hangs down to my waist. Usually, a simple plait is enough to keep it out of my way, but today, I need more of a guarantee than that. I tie it up in a high, tight ponytail that just brushes my back with a velvet ribbon – it won't come undone easily.

Breakfast is a must for me. I barely ever go without breakfast, even though it's only a little bit of sustenance. Today, I sleepily pour myself a glass of milk and take a mango, my favourite fruit, from the fridge. In my opinion, there is only one way to eat a mango, and that is to slice the two thickest slabs from each side, and to peel the skin from the middle slice, the one with the pit. It's somewhat inelegant to gnaw at the middle slice, but for a kunoichi who lives alone, it's not much of a big deal. I peel the skin from the two slabs, and the fleshy mango can be eaten.

I head to the washroom to brush my teeth and splash cold water over my face to help myself wake up. I smooth my damp hands over my hair, the moisture pressing stray strands down before I secure them with simple black pins. I stare at my reflection in the mirror – it's a look I haven't seen on myself for a long time. My face has changed over the last few years – most noticeably, all the baby fat has disappeared from my cheeks, and my jawline has slimmed. There is something different about my eyes – perhaps the shape? No, it's the person who looks out of them now. It's not an innocent, trusting young girl anymore. The girl who stares out of my eyes, my eyes which have always been too dark to classify as brown, and too light to be called black, is lost and holds what little conviction she has left. So much of me has changed, and I haven't taken the time in a long while to properly observe that. The only feature that remains is my pouty lower lip, which has always been a hint too full for as long as I can remember.

I sigh, closing my eyes.

_Time doesn't heal wounds. It merely dulls the pain of sprinkling salt on them. _

I open my closet and reach for the little parcel in the very corner. It's my ninja outfit. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I unwrap the parcel and set my eyes on the outfit I wore almost every day so many years ago. The largest article is a lavender robe, one that used to reach my knees. As I put it on now, I realize it come up two inches above my knees. There's a wide sash around my waist that I do up, but there's little difference there. I wear an undershirt beneath the robe, and to my surprise, the robe is slightly tight in the area of my chest. I'd never had much to brag about in the curves department, but the robe wasn't meant for someone like Tsunade anyways. The sleeves and long and open. The embroidery is fine, and I trace the miniscule violet flowers up my arm before pulling my stockings from the parcel. They used to come up almost all the way up my thighs, but now they barely reach the bottom of the robe. When I kneel, a strip of skin shows. I frown. When I considered going back to being a kunoichi, I hadn't expected to run into trouble in the wardrobe aspect. Maybe I'd go out and buy a new outfit before the end of my training. I put my wallet and my little pouch of shuriken and kunai into a small bag that I sling over my shoulder. Perhaps I could stop by the nearby tailor after training. After all, it would probably be best if I could get used to the clothes before the actual missions began.

I glance at the clock on the bedside table. 6:37 a.m. Giving myself fifteen minutes to get to the training field, I have eight minutes to spare. I wash some dishes that are piled up next to my sink (just two plates and a few cutlery items, not like the stack at Haru's place) and tie up the trash bag. Today I take the long way down, actually going out my door instead of my window, slipping the key into my bag. I toss the trash into the dumpster that out entire building shares, and wave good morning to the old man from the first floor.

And I head to the Third Training Ground.

Almost forty minutes later, I pull out the pocket-watch Haru bought me on my fifteenth birthday from my wallet for the third time. Scratch that, it's been forty-four minutes. I slump down beside the middle wooden post. Maybe Kakashi wasn't planning on training me after all – maybe that's fate, telling me that I _should_ just resign to a life of being a medical ninja instead.

But then, he appears.

Kakashi has one of those timeless faces with which you can't really discern his age. It doesn't help either that his face is half-covered all the time, and he has silvery hair that could be a result of old age, or just genetics. He's pretty tall, I guess, and most of the time he gives off a light-hearted and friendly vibe.

"Sorry I'm late, Kiyomi-chan," he says, smiling and scratching the back of his head.

"It's okay," I say, but apparently he isn't done.

"See, I was walking here on time when a cat suddenly appeared in front of me, and an old lady begged me to help her, even though I told her I had an appointment. And it turned out that the cat was pretty vicious, so I actually chased it into a restaurant, which kind of upset the customers, and the manager, so I had to sort that out too, and tell them I was just doing a favour for the old lady – "

He stops then, because I think my incredulous expression has morphed into one of irritation.

"Ah, so yes, training," he says hastily. "I understand you haven't trained in a while?"

I nod. "I've barely trained in the last four years. I did some simple exercises yesterday … but even that wasn't very much."

Kakashi sighs. "All right. Well, I'm sure you can jog and do target practice on your own, so let's discuss what I can actually teach you."

Seeing as Kakashi didn't ask any questions regarding why I was training, and particularly why it was _him_ who was training me, I assumed Tsunade must have spoken to him about my situation. I didn't really mind this, since I'd told him all that was important anyways.

I met Kakashi a few weeks after Yuju died at the Memorial Stone. It was my second trip there, my first being two weeks after his death, having found it by accident. I was shocked that his name was already there, and there was already a bouquet of flowers there with the note: _For Yuju. Rest in peace. _The day I met Kakashi, the sky and I wept together, and if my eyes hadn't been swollen red from crying, the tears would have been unnoticeable. I didn't know where to go – certainly not to Haru, who was being restrained by several chunin from beating anyone else up around the village – and I found myself walking to the place that honoured Yuju and those like him. When I got there, I was surprised to see a figure in front of the memorial, but as I came closer I recognized him as one of the village jonin I knew only by face. Kakashi was drenched, as if he had been standing there for hours, and he didn't notice me until I was very close.

"_You look a bit young to be here," he said, a bit sadly. _

_I didn't answer him until I could see Yuju's name, engraved proudly on the stone. "If he," I pointed to his name, "wasn't too young to die, then I'm not too young to be here."_

Kakashi asked me about Yuju, and I don't know why – perhaps some form of kinship between those who have lost loved ones, or maybe just my vulnerability that day – but I told him everything, all the emotions I felt: guilt, regret, helplessness, love, and self-disgust. He listened with a sort of quiet grace. I don't know how long we spent standing in the rain, but when I had finished crying and talking, it was already dark. Heading home, I realized I hadn't even asked his name. But I slept without nightmares that night.

I didn't meet Kakashi again for another month, though I visited the Memorial Stone nearly every day, a part of me hoping to see him again. The next time I saw him I asked his name, and later about the person he was remembering here. He told me that it wasn't just one person, but he only pointed out one name. _Uchiha Obito_, written many lines from the bottom, where the newer names are engraved. He had died over ten years ago, I learned from Kakashi, and they had been on the same team.

"I don't actually know anything about your fighting style," he says, cutting through my thoughts.

"Um, well," I hesitate. It's never been easy to explain the way I fight. "I use water for attack and defence, and I can change the state of it." It's always been easier to do a demonstration.

"So … the typical Water Release techniques?"

"No. At least, I don't think they're typical. I've never seen anyone use water the way I do, because I don't use hand seals. I mean, I do for other techniques, but not anything with water."

A surprised light appears in the one eye I can see, but it disappears quickly.

"Maybe I should just show you," I suggest. "Hold out your hand for me, please."

Kakashi takes off his glove, which really isn't necessary, and holds his hand out. His hand is young-looking, apart from the faded scars strewn across the back of it. I place my hands over his, and concentrate hard to phase water to ice, and quickly back to water.

Kakashi inhales sharply. What I did was freeze all the water in the blood flowing through his hand for an instant. I know it's an odd sensation, having experienced it a few times myself, but it's useful in the area of healing. This is something I can do without a large reservoir of water at hand, and it's come in useful in temporarily preventing poisons from spreading from small areas. It's quite dangerous to freeze a large area of a body for an extended period of time, especially around the torso, because the pressure could do severe damage to internal organs. A small wound such as that caused by a poisoned senbon is what this technique is ideal for. On the battlefield, the technique is not very useful if I mean to injure or kill, because I need time and prolonged physical contact to change the state from liquid to solid.

"This is just what I can show you without a large amount of water. But I can control water, and using it I can form icicles that can be used as kunai, which I can control from a distance. I can also travel through large bodies of water at speeds much faster than I am usually capable of."

The surprised look in Kakashi's eye lingers longer than the last time.

"What is it?" I ask.

"You're not from this village, are you?" It's not much of a question.

"I … I'm not sure, actually," I reply truthfully. "They gave me the last name Miyagi, the name of the family who discovered me as a baby, left just outside the village. They raised me for a couple of years, but they had too many children of their own. I wasn't the same to them. I grew up on my own, with the Hokage giving me money every month." There is no bitterness in my voice. I used to resent the Miyagi family for pushing me away, but now, I've come to understand that there was nothing more they could have done out of charity.

"Mm … well, this is interesting," he murmurs. "I've encountered somebody who seems to have used techniques similar to yours, though some of them more refined. There may be a connection between the two of you."

I blink in surprise. This someone … a relative? I had already given up on the idea of finding out about my past for a long time … but was it possible?

"Who is this person?" I ask eagerly. "Is he in the village?"

"No. He's dead," Kakashi says, "but I know a bit about his past and his techniques."

I frown. Of course. It was too good to be true.

"It seems too much of a coincidence to be passed off as one," Kakashi sighs, and scratches the back of his head. "You're probably one of the last members of the Yuki clan."

Well, if you don't recognize the name of the clan, it's the clan Haku, Zabuza's "partner(?)" was born into. The techniques Kiyomi uses aren't as advanced as Haku's mirrors, or as exact as his "Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death" (GOSH that sounds so corny in English…), but what she's capable of is _very_ similar to waterbenders in Avatar: The Last Airbender (and the Korra series). I was worried about my ability to describe the movements, so I decided to just post what it's inspired by, here. :) Also, what I mean by "Imprints in Snow" is Kiyomi's history, being the imprint in the clan history (Yuki = snow). *hides face* don't blame me, it had a nice ring to it!

Neji won't appear for at least one more chapter, which isn't too much, because I'm planning on making this a really long story. I'll be much slower with the chapters soon, because while I was waiting for my account to let me publish stories, I wrote the first few; and, being the impatient person I am, I jumped ahead and wrote a couple of scenes (and one entire chapter) that's like, almost the end of the story. Ahh, geez. Anyways, I'm estimating that the entire thing will be at least 20 chapters, if not 30. :S 

Please cheer me on by reviewing! I would love to hear back from anyone who's reading the story. :)

-Jennifer


	6. The Sweat of Hard Work

The next few days pass in a bit of a blur. Though patient, Kakashi is a demanding and surprisingly knowledgeable teacher. By surprising, I mean that from the permanent bored expression on what one can see of his face, he wouldn't come across as someone whose power is extraordinary. When I meet up with Haru to apologize, we talk over dinner and Haru tells me of Kakashi's legacy amongst the ANBU members.

My confusion as to why Tsunade would be willing to pull such an important jounin out of availability increases as I learn more and more about Kakashi.

He is able even to teach me the techniques of the clan from which, supposedly, I hail. He teaches me the one-handed hand seals necessary to create an inescapable hailstorm of icicles, possible with the smallest amount of water. One-handed seals … I had never even heard of them, not to mention use them. I didn't believe it until I used them and found that afterwards, the technique came so much more easily to me.

Kakashi says there is one more technique he is able to describe, but he believes it should be put off until the end. My stamina, he says, is lacking, as well as my skills in taijutsu. He helps enhance my stamina by doing a tree-climbing exercise, in which I can use only chakra at the bottom of my feet to climb trees. The exercise isn't too difficult, but it sure is tiring to climb ten massive trees consecutively. Immediately after, I am told to try and keep up with his summon, an adorable, albeit grumpy dog named Pakkun. The two exercises are done in alternation, and Kakashi lazily announces the switch, looking up from a strange little book once every five minutes.

The schedule is predictable. I would arrive at the Training Ground at about seven thirty, prepared for Kakashi's imminent tardiness. A few minutes before eight, he would appear and make an excuse, something I've gotten used to. He teaches or helps me hone a special technique, like the Ice Needles or the way I use an ice kunai, which I can easily mold to any shape or control from a short distance without physical contact. We eat box lunches together or take an separate hour-long lunch breaks before meeting back at the Training Ground to continue with my stamina practices. At five thirty in the evening, Kakashi bids me goodnight and part ways for the day. I pat Pakkun on the head before I leave each night, and he insists that it's _his_ gift to me (allowing me to stroke his head) for working so hard. I'm not sure what to make of Kakashi's talking _ninken_, but admittedly, he is quite adorable.

Accustomed to people like Sakura and Tsunade, who talk more than I do, I started off slightly more awkwardly with Kakashi, who spoke little unless necessary. But I have grown used to his quiet nature, and I have grown to appreciate it, especially when I train.

Not many people pass by the area, but there is one strange encounter.

On my sixth day of training, we see two green jumpsuit-clad men racing down the river, away from the village. Kakashi seems to recognize them and tells me not to worry. An hour later, they seem to be returning to the village at a slightly slower pace. They see us, and the taller of the two waves energetically. Kakashi sighs, but raises a hand in acknowledgement.

He sighs more loudly as they run towards us.

"Well," he says, "at least now you have a shot at improving your taijutsu."

I'm confused, but certain I'll find out what he means soon.

The two figures near, and in shock I realize everything alterable about them – hair, eyebrows, and obviously clothes – are exactly the same. I would have assumed they were father and son but for the palpable differences in their facial structures. The older man's face is more angular, his build squarer and stronger-looking. Both however, wear unbelievably wide grins.

"Ah, Kakashi!" the taller one booms. "How are you on this splendid day? Is this a new student? She looks a little too old to be a genin now, doesn't she?" He chortles at his own words, and I raise an eyebrow, turning slightly to watch Kakashi's expression.

He has a tired look on his face, but I sense no animosity whatsoever.

"Gai, this is Kiyomi-chan, who has recently been promoted to tokubetsu jounin." I grasp Gai's outstretched hand, resisting the urge to cringe as I realize his hand is sweaty. He shakes it enthusiastically.

"Congratulations, my dear girl!" he exclaims. "Such achievement at a young age is something to strive for!"

"And this is Lee, Gai's student," Kakashi gestures toward the smaller one. I shake his hand too, which is equally as sweaty as his sensei's. "Gai, Lee, I'd like to ask a favour of you. I'm trying to train Kiyomi right now and improve her stamina, but I'd also like to help her improve her taijutsu. Seeing as you two are –"

"I'll do it!" the one name Lee exclaims, and I can't stop my eyebrow from twitching in surprise by his loud outburst. "I can help her with taijutsu training!"

"Great," Kakashi says, smiling with his one visible eye. "Lee is a ninja who uses taijutsu exclusively, so I daresay he'll do well with you." A ninja who uses only taijutsu? That's rather impressive, seeing as I can barely fight without my ninjutsu. Though he is quite strange. "Well, see you later, Kiyomi."

And he disappears in a small cloud of smoke.

My eyes widen in surprise and annoyance. He just … left like that? Geez, and now I'm stuck with …

"Kiyomi-san, let's begin!"

"I can feel the youthful power rising from the two of you!" Gai exclaims excitedly. "I'd better leave you two to it, and I might be able to catch Kakashi for another competition!"

Lee bids him a saluted goodbye and Gai runs off.

I can't actually believe my eyes and ears. These two … well, they're unbelievable.

But there's not much time to think about how unbelievable all of this is, because Lee begins to attack.

His stances places his two feet a shoulder-width apart, one in front and the other back. One hand beckons, and the other is placed behind his back.

He aims a high kick at the side of my head and I block it with my forearm. I stop three punches to my gut, and retaliate one half-hearted kick.

"Don't go easy on me, Kiyomi-san! Trust me, I won't be overwhelmed." He grins and gives me a thumbs-up.

I smile at him. "Sorry Lee, I'm just not used to sparring. I haven't trained with anyone for a long time."

Lee is fast. His next few moves are faster, pressuring me, and I'm not able to block two of them. There's restrained power there, I can tell, because where he makes contact doesn't hurt as much as it should, with his sort of power.

_One, two, three. _

He blocks all the attacks, but returns the favour with more vigour. Soon I only manage to be on the defensive, and I let my instincts take over, unthinking.

Kakashi and Gai return in three hours, apparently, but to me it seems more like ten. I am exhausted and ready to collapse, having stayed on my feet for the last two hours only because I saw the Lee had barely broken a sweat. He is really extraordinary in taijutsu, and I can tell even without him having used his full power. It was obvious that he was going easy on me, pausing when I had to take a moment to recover, and matching my pace. I did feel a bit more confident in my taijutsu though, and in the end, I managed a grand total of four hits.

"Thank you so much," I say fervently to Lee. He's peculiar, that's needless to say, but he makes an excellent trainer. "And I'm sorry if the last few hours were a waste to you," I say ruefully. "My taijutsu is _pretty_ bad."

"Not at all, Kiyomi-san!" he says, jogging on the spot. I can't believe he's not tired at all; I'm having trouble staying on my feet, and I know that the real soreness and muscle cramps haven't kicked in yet. "Training with a new opponent is always a joy! I would like to fight you someday, both of us giving it our all!"

"Of course," I say. "But honestly Lee, I really appreciate what you've done for me."

As soon as they leave, talking about doing five hundred push-ups or something, I collapse on the ground, not caring about dirt and dust. I am utterly spent.

"So, how was training?" Kakashi asks, as if he doesn't see my utter exhaustion.

"It … it was tiring," I reply honestly. "But I think it was very helpful to me. Lee is impossible to wear out, and I don't think training with me helped him very much at all."

Kakashi holds a hand out to help me stand.

I groan as the muscles in my arm burn. Kakashi laughs – I scowl at him. We start walking back toward the center of the village.

"You might want to take tomorrow off." When I half-heartedly start to protest, he cuts me off. "You need a break, and so do I. Though," he says as he puts his hands in his pockets, glancing at me as I limp alongside, "certainly you more than me." I nod.

"So who exactly are those two? I mean, no offense, but you don't seem like the kind to have many close friends."

"Close friends?" Kakashi repeats, eye widening slightly. He tilts his head up slightly, thoughtfully. "Well … I suppose you could call Gai my closest friend now … we're known each other for a long time. Lee is one of his students, but he treats him like a son. Their relationship may seem a bit odd at first … well, it doesn't _cease_ to seem odd, but it sure is something."

We've reached our usual parting point, a street away from Ichiraku's.

"Well, see you in two days," I say to him. He smiles and waves as he saunters away.

I realize two days later that one day definitely wasn't enough to recuperate. The first morning, I was barely able to get to my feet. I spent most of the day in bed. The first day back to training is hell on earth, but I force myself to continue, knowing that the results have already begun to show. I tire much less easily – though the soreness is considerable – and my ability to climb the trees has become second nature. I barely need to think as I walk vertically up the trunk. I find that molding chakra to perform jutsus has also become something of little difficulty.

Kakashi teaches me water-based techniques such as the Great Waterfall Technique, which isn't particularly useful but uses a ridiculous number of hand seals, the Water Dragon Bullet Technique, which also has a ridiculous number of hand seals. The latter seems to be slightly more useful, but both require enormous amounts of water to be at hand, something that is not likely during an actual battle. The stream that runs past the Training Ground is barely sufficient for my techniques; I would need an ocean to be certain of success. Though Kakashi tells me that my other chakra nature is wind, he says that he would not be able to teach me anything in that area. He says the rarest chakra type is wind, and that I should wait a while before attempting to master it.

During the second week, I excuse myself from training for the later half of an afternoon to find a comfortable outfit I could wear on a daily basis from now on.

It takes me until nightfall to find it, but it sure is worth it.

It's a dark blue one-piece with a high collar, and it hugs my figure all the way down to mid-thigh. There are no sleeves, which allows me to move my arms more freely. There are three black buttons down the neck, and three more up the thigh that can be undone when putting the outfit on. The material is stretchy, and after the first wash I find that it dries quickly. It feels like velvet and has black spiralling designs that are only visible close-up.

It's much less flamboyant than my old outfit, and looks much more sophisticated.

With it and my forehead protector, I look every bit the Konoha kunoichi.

I'm ready for the past to be put aside.

Neji will make his appearance in the next chapter, which will be up shortly. I do feel like this beginning is dragging, and I probably shouldn't be spending so much time writing the ending at this point … but oh well. I promise the story will get better. 

Please, review!


	7. A New Beginning

So the next day, I wake up early, pack necessities, dress myself in clothes I'm not yet used to, and make myself look presentable. I pick up my forehead protector, stroking the velvety black material, which I haven't worn for four years and eighteen days now, but I put it down mechanically. I open my drawer and take out Yuju's forehead protector, and fasten it around my neck. Then I make my bed, check the refrigerator for perishables, and close the blinds. The small pouch of herbs, ointments, and chakra pills fits snugly against my hip, and I feel just a little bit safer know it's there. Five kunai and ten shuriken go in the outer pockets. My katana goes over my shoulder, and I slip on my boots, making sure the knife and the pill are both there.

But just as I'm turning off the lights, my hand on the doorknob just doesn't seem to want to move. Haru's voice resonates in my mind.

I sigh. I take off Yuju's forehead protector, and put mine back on instead.

The short journey to the Hokage's office is quiet.

"Tsunade-sama," I bow as I enter her office. "Shizune-san."

There are two other people in her office. They turn as I enter the room, and I see that the two men are also Konoha ninja.

"Kiyomi, these are your new teammates for this mission. Both are jonin –"

One of the men coughs.

"All right," Tsunade says irritably, "Shikamaru isn't a jonin, but only because he's a lazy ass." I stifle a laugh. Tsunade's sharp tongue really is the same to everyone. "Neji is a jonin. You three will be going on a mission together this afternoon, so I suggest you get to know each other, and be familiar with each other's techniques before you set out. Kiyomi, I've already briefed them about the mission." Shizune hurries over to me and hands me a folder. "Read the contents today. The three of you may need to strategize a bit, but I'm sure with Shikamaru, it won't take long."

So he relies on intelligence over diligence? I glance at Shikamaru. He has somewhat drooping, bored eyes and a bit of a pout on his lips. His hair is tied up in a little ponytail, and he wears a green Konoha vest over a mesh tunic. I wonder what sorts of techniques he uses – his physique is thin, like Haru before he began filling out.

The other man is slightly taller, and his lilac eyes are a telltale sign that he is of the Hyuuga clan. I had met a Hyuuga many years ago on a mission, and his abilities astonished me to the point that all I could think was how glad I was he was on my team and not my enemy. Those eyes that used to frighten me now simply amaze me. This Hyuuga wears an expressionless face and the traditional Hyuuga robes, but nonetheless, his face has a sort of subtle perfection… I blink in surprise at my own thoughts. _Perfection? _I've only ever thought of Yuju as perfect …

I nod at Tsunade, about to leave, but she motions for the other two to go first. "Just give us a minute. She'll be out right away." They nod, heading out together. From their body language, it seems like they know each other. Shizune shuffles some papers on Tsunade's desk, and quietly makes her way to the door on the left, which I know leads to a classified information room. The Hokage turns to me. "Kiyomi, I appreciate that you've stepped up to do what I've requested, but I want to make sure you are all right before sending you out on the mission. If you are not yet ready for missions, I can withdraw you from this one and give you another week."

I swallow. "I think I'll be okay. Kakashi-san and Haruki-kun have spoken to me, and that's really helped. I shouldn't have taken this long to recover."

Tsunade's face softens into a rare, tender expression. "I am glad. As for this mission, don't stress yourself out. Your teammates are two of the best ninja their age – even beyond their age. They don't need much taking-care-of. This time, just worry about yourself, Kiyomi."

I don't think that's even possible for me anymore. But I nod nonetheless. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

I bow and leave her office.

I seem to have interrupted a conversation between my two teammates.

"Oh hey," says the guy named Shikamaru. "Kiyomi, right?" He holds out his right hand. "Nara Shikamaru." _Oh_, the Nara clan. Well, that answers my question from before.I shift the folder to my left hand and shake his hand.

"Hyuuga Neji," says the other, and I shake his hand too. While Shikamaru's hand is a normal temperature, Neji's hand is cool. Firm.

"Delighted to meet you two. I'm Miyagi Kiyomi."

Introductions aside, we begin walking out of the building. "So you two know each other?" I ask with genuine curiosity.

"Yeah," Shikamaru replies, "we've been on a couple of missions together, and we did the Chuunin exam together. You're a jonin?"

I grimace. "Well, apparently I am now. A tokubetsu jonin. I specialize in medicine."

"Oh, so you probably know Sakura, right?" I nod. "We went to the Academy together."

"How about you, Neji-san?" I asked politely, mainly to include him in the conversation. He's been very quiet, and I don't know if he's usually this way, or it's just the awkward atmosphere.

"I am a year older than Sakura," he says.

We step out of the building.

"And you?" Shikamaru asks.

"I graduated early. I was a genin by the time I was nine. My training was somewhat informal."

"Wait, then when did you take the Chuunin exam?" Shikamaru asks, perplexed.

"I took it when I was eleven, because the members of my team were older. It was the year before the huge disaster – come to think of it, that was your year, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Neji replied quietly, just as Shikamaru rolls his eyes, saying "What a drag." Neji seems to be lost in memories for a moment – a look that I recognize because it's so familiar to me – but quickly continues, "We took the exam again the year after."

"So how come I haven't seen you around on any missions?" Shikamaru demands. "I don't think Neji has either?" Neji nods in agreement.

I deliberate for a moment. It was probably better to tell them a bit of the truth. "I trained in medicine for a few years. So this is my first serious mission in four years."

They're stunned. But at least I got it out of the way. It wouldn't be great if I collapsed in the middle of the mission because of my crap stamina.

"So um," I hesitate, "maybe I should read the information." I wave the folder.

"There's a good little patch of forest just east of here," Shikamaru says. I have no idea which way east is, but I nod and follow him. "You can read through and then we'll discuss strategy. Meanwhile we can discuss our fighting styles."

"Okay," I say. "I'm short to mid-range. Mainly I use water to attack and defend, but without sufficient water, I can cope with my katana and other tools. My taijutsu is all right, but I don't use genjutsu at all." I hesitate. _Because Yuju was the genjutsu-user._ "I haven't fought seriously in a while, so I might not be able to tell you exactly what I can do at this point. But what I can tell you is that I was told to expect mainly the role of a medical ninja."

Shikamaru nods. "The mission isn't an assassination –" I flinch slightly, but Neji's eyes flicker towards me minutely "- but we may be ambushed along the way. Neji and I know each other's fighting styles, so go ahead and ask us if we don't go into enough detail. I use shadows, so my range depends on the time of day. But generally I'm short-range."

"I've heard a bit about your clan, actually," I say. "I know the fighting style somewhat."

Shikamaru raises his eyebrows. "Well, saves me the trouble of explaining."

"And I know the Hyuuga style," I say, "I've been on a mission with a Hyuuga before. But what surprises me is that Tsunade-sama put three short to mid-range ninja on one team, and none of us use genjutsu. Am I right in assuming that last part?"

"You are," Neji says, and I turn to him, slightly surprised he's spoken up. "When you were speaking to Hokage-sama, Shikamaru and I were discussing why she had put the two of us on the same mission, while sending Naruto and Kiba on another." I raise an eyebrow. Even the short while I've known them is enough for me to understand what he means by that. "We thought the simplest explanation would just be personality, but it's too much of a risk to take when it comes to strategy. It would have been much easier to group Naruto and I together, and Kiba with Shikamaru, with a leader in each. We thought perhaps it was to balance offense and defense. But now that we know you are also short-range, it's given us even more insight into why she formed this group."

I blanch. _To protect me. To make sure I don't get hurt, even if that means jeopardizing another group's mission. _

Neji stops and I don't miss his glance at me. "Of course," he says even more softly, "These are all assumptions with little proof. We shouldn't dwell on this."

"Yep," Shikamaru says, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back. He gazes up at the clouds with pursed lips. "How troublesome. But it doesn't matter. We've been dealt this hand, so let's just get on with it." He sighs. "Here we are."

It's a small meadow, green grass strewn with daisies, buttercups, and small pink flowers I don't recognize. I can hear the warble of a small brook nearby, in the forest that hugs the fringes of the meadow. A few trees dot the landscape, allowing for shade.

"I love this place," I breathe. "It's beautiful."

"Eh," says Shikamaru, "I sleep here a lot, and not many people come here, so I'd appreciate it if you two didn't tell too many people about it. Now, let's get started on this." We sit in the shade of a large cherry blossom tree that's dotted with budding leaves, grateful to be out of the sun. I settle myself at the base of the trunk, my back against the tree and my knees bent. I open the folder and begin to read.

_Team: Nara Shikamaru, Hyuuga Neji, Miyagi Kiyomi_

_Mission Difficulty: A-rank_

_Employer: Chishima, Junior Advisor to daimyo_

_Destination: Bird Country_

_Objective: Stop the rebel uprisings against the daimyo, Toki. In addition, cleanse the surrounding forests of rogue ninja scouts if encounters occur. _

_Suggested Mission Duration: 1-2 weeks_

_History: Current daimyo's twin brother and father were murdered by a member of the Watari ninja clan to claim the throne. Current daimyo assumed brother's identity in order to adhere to tradition, but harboured a desire for revenge. Sightings of a ghost warrior were reported, and Konoha team consisting of Hyuuga Neji, Ten-ten, and Uzumaki Naruto. _

I look up. "Neji-san, you were on the previous mission? With Naruto? How long ago was this?"

"It's been about three years," he replies. I read on.

_To stop the Watari clan's plot, jonin Hatake Kakashi was added to the altered mission. Ultimately, order was restored to the Bird Country, with the daimyo revealing her identity. Konoha and the Bird Country have remained allies. No sign of trouble has been reported until now. _

I flip the first sheet over to see a map. I ignore it, knowing that a map wouldn't help me whatsoever. The last three pages are short summaries on the three of us, and I hastily turn them over, knowing we had limited time, and that if it were me, I would feel discomfort seeing a near-stranger reading about me.

"Okay, I'm done," I say, and look up. Neji nods and looks toward Shikamaru, who is lying on his back, gazing sleepily at the clouds. He blinks, glances toward us, and sits up with a sigh.

"All right. Looking at how long the mission is supposed to be, I'm guessing we need to do some observation and information collection before we attack. Our first few days will have to be as quiet as possible – we have to lie low. But entering the country like this, dressed like ninja from head to toe is much too obvious. My suggestion is this: we will have to dress as commoners and enter the country, but commoners who have some connection to the daimyo so we'll be next to her most of the time."

"They would never believe that," Neji says. "There is no way to conceal my Byakugan, and it is well-known, even there, that the Hyuugas are from Konoha."

Shikamaru continues. "That's why you'll be using the Transformation Technique most of the time. In fact, all three of us will. Only at night will we drop the disguises, to sleep or to do more investigation in secret."

"That'll use up quite a lot of chakra," I comment.

"It's the only way," Shikamaru says, and his tone is confident.

Shikamaru makes a good leader. He makes me feel safe and that the mission will go well. He isn't impulsive, and I appreciate that about him. I have a good feeling about the mission.

Neji's here! Yay! And yes, Shikamaru too. Shikamaru's always been a character who has fascinated me, but certainly not the same way Neji fascinates me ;) He's got his flaws, but he's one of the most genuine-seeming characters, in my opinion. Though he's a genius, he's not cocky, which is a huge relief; he's truthful and loyal, and he's definitely not a stereotype. 

That aside, I've always thought Neji's intelligence was underrated. I mean, he figures out all these freaking traps and stuff, and yet the databook only gives him a _3_ in intelligence? _GOSH. _Not to say I don't love these two, but Sasuke had a 3.5 and Gaara _4_ in intelligence. Like, okay, Gaara's 4 in the 3rd Databook I can accept, but his 3.5 in the second is a bit too much to swallow. I think Neji needs a bit more credit, having figured out the secret jutsus of the Hyuuga clan just by observation. But enough about my rant, because all I wanted to say was that his character in my story will be slightly _more_ on the intelligent side. 

Kiyomi is about the same as Neji in intelligence, but I'd say a little bit below his level if you had to say. She ponders quite a lot, but may behave rashly at times. She's usually calm, but as you saw in Chapter 2 with Haru, she can lose her temper and speak horrible words, and not all of them true. I used to write fanfic when I was quite little (yes, Neji-centric _still_) and when I look back, my main character was undeniably a Mary Sue. So … since this is the first Naruto-world fanfic I've written in a while, I'm trying to make Kiyomi as un-Mary-Sue-y as possible, but please tell me if you think I'm overdoing it, or not doing enough. Of course, the third chapter doesn't show too much yet of her personality, but I'm speaking in general terms. :D 

Please, feed me the feedback! 

-Jennifer


	8. The Journey

One of the first things I think to myself on this mission is how grateful I am to Kakashi for having trained me in the last two weeks to bring my stamina up. The two of them, Neji and Shikamaru, travel at insanely fast speeds. Or maybe it's just because I'm out of practice.

We travel for nearly the entire afternoon, and Shikamaru stops us at dusk at a cliff overlooking a large forest. It's maybe eight o'clock in the evening.

"We don't want to have to deal with enemies at night, on unfamiliar territory at that. Eat, rest up for the night, and we'll set out at dawn. We're almost there, according to the map. So we should rest up well in order to have enough chakra to maintain the _henge_ jutsus tomorrow." He sighs. "It's troublesome, but I thought it through and it should be doable."

We unload some of the supplies that were given to us at the gate. There are three identical backpacks, one for each of us, and on each a bedroll is strapped.

"I can take first watch," I say after we finish setting up the camp. We don't make a fire, firstly because it's not necessary, but also because it would be a beacon attracting people and animals we don't want to meet.

"All right," Shikamaru says, handing his watch to me. "Neji, are you okay with next watch? Then Kiyomi will wake you up in two-and-a-half hours."

Three hours should suffice. I'm not particularly tired, I realize as I hop onto the branch of a sturdy tree. When I was younger, it was always difficult for me to keep watch, so I never did watches alone. Either Haru or Yuju would do watches with me, and even then sometimes I'd fall asleep. I was the baby of the team, and under those circumstances, nobody would wake me up until morning, whereupon I would feel guilty for not having completed my watch. Haru would tease me about it while Yuju would just smile and brush it aside. Mizura-sensei would scold me half-heartedly, but smile as Haru joked about it.

But now those days are over. I'm no longer a young genin or even a chuunin anymore. Perched on the branch, my ears are open and sensitive to every little sound I can hear. I'm pleased with myself when my concentration doesn't wane, even after an hour. My newfound ability to concentrate might be due to Kakashi's mindless exercises. My teammates' quiet, rhythmical breathing is a soothing mantra.

Hearing a small noise – the crackle of a dry leaf – I throw my kunai without hesitation.

A squirrel falls out of the trees, and I sigh, both in relief and in guilt for having killed an animal without reason.

A younger me would have never done it so automatically and quickly. I suppose having fast reflexes is a good thing, but my hastiness could become a problem in the future, in the case of an unannounced ally, or a teammate's movements.

Suddenly I sense movement behind me, but I relax when I realize there's only one set of lungs breathing deeply.

"I thought Shikamaru said in two and a half hours?" comes a voice from behind me. I'm actually quite surprised by the voice, because I had never realized how lovely Neji's voice is.

"Sorry," I murmur hastily as I hop down lightly from a height of twenty feet. The watch tells me it's been three. "Lost track of time up there," I give him a rueful smile.

"Don't worry. You should get some rest," he says with a bit of a smile. Maybe my first impression of him was wrong – he doesn't seem too bad.

I return a smile as I hand him Shikamaru's wristwatch. "Er, the squirrel there," I point, "I accidentally killed it. Just so you know it was me."

He nods, and leaps into the air gracefully, taking my spot in the branches. I smile a little smugly – it _was_ a good lookout point. I notice that he has already rolled up his blanket and strapped it to his pack – either he wasn't planning on letting Shikamaru take the shift or he was just particularly ready in case of an ambush. I frown, hoping it's the latter. He may be extremely strong but going with very little sleep can become a hindrance to the rest.

I slide under my own blankets, wincing at the hardness of the ground. _Get used to it_, I berate myself. I've become too accustomed to daily comforts. By sheer willpower, I fall asleep despite the discomfort.

::~::

Morning comes and I wake to the feeling of sunlight on my eyelids. I've always woken at sunrise, and I sit up, rubbing my eyes. Neji isn't asleep beside me, but rather sitting, back against his bedroll, and hands resting on his knees.

"You're awake quite early," he says to me, glancing in my direction as I push myself into a sitting position.

"I could say the same for you. Since when have _you_ been awake?"

"Hm," he says. "A while."

"Are you both up already?" comes Shikamaru's voice from my tree branch. My smug smile returns. "We'll get moving then."

I quickly pack up my bedroll and strap it to my backpack, slinging the bag lightly over my shoulder. I'm the last one done, and the other two are erasing signs of our presence.

As we start off again, I find that my pace can match theirs more easily now. Shikamaru is in the lead and I'm between him and Neji. I seem to be adapting quickly to new challenges.

"Yesterday's shift schedule," Shikamaru starts, turning back to glance at us, "was that okay for everyone?"

"Mmhm," I say, and Neji murmurs an agreement.

"Good, then we'll stay with that while we're in the Bird Country."

"Will we be put together?" I wonder out loud. "What disguises will we do?"

"We should have two nobles and a servant," Shikamaru says. "A couple and a servant is very plausible, and any other arrangement is less so. The one who acts as the servant will collect information from the lower classes, and the nobles will gather intel from higher classes." He scratches his head. "I'll be the servant," he says in a bored tone. "I can probably weasel out some information from the merchants and such. Also, Neji is probably accustomed to proper etiquette much more than I am."

I'm slightly taken aback. So … Neji will be acting as my husband? That's … a bit strange to think about.

_Just a mission, Kiyomi. _

I sigh.

"We should practice the henge jutsus before arriving," Neji says from behind me. Shikamaru nods in agreement, and we travel a bit longer before Shikamaru stops us on what looks like the outskirts of a country. There are small farms dotting the landscape, and I gaze down at it from a height of maybe thirty feet.

"All right, here is where we'll leave our supplies," Shikamaru says to my right. He puts his hands together, index and middle fingers sticking out from his right fist, and a cloud of smoke obscures him from view. When he reappears, he's a replica of Iruka, the teacher who probably taught him at the academy, except without the forehead protector. I had his predecessor.

"That's surprisingly believable," I say with a chuckle.

"Eh, well, it's easier to change into someone real than someone imaginary," Shikamaru says, scratching the back of his head. He's wearing simple peasant clothing, though rich enough to mark him as a servant of a noble.

I transform into Mizura-sensei, whose looks are nondescript enough once she tones down on the makeup, and Neji, a thirty-something man who still looks a bit like him, albeit with opaque brown eyes.

Then it hits me.

I'm really on a mission. I'm really going to infiltrate a country and try to protect its daimyo. I am on the track to recovery, recovery from Yuju's death.

::~::

_I stared at the stone in front of me. _

_Its simplistic grace and majesty was worthy of Yuju's memory._

"_I've decided to be a medical-nin," I stated, kneeling on the concrete. The sky was sunny, and for once I wasn't glad for it. It was making my promise seem fictitious. _

"_I'm not going to kill anymore. I will never kill anymore. I'm not going to go out on missions." There was only silence and the chirping of birds in the distance. "What would you do if you were me?" I whispered. "Would you have given up the life of a ninja if you realized it caused so much pain and suffering to others?" I pause. "Of course you wouldn't have. You were always the determined sort, Yuju. You would have known that … in the distant future, it would bring peace. Eventually." I try to swallow, but the lump in my throat is in the way. "You would have persevered."_

_I untie my forehead protector from where it hangs on my neck. _

"_You probably can't even hear me," I murmur, barely audible. _

_There's movement behind me, but I know who it is. _

"_Of course he can," comes the quiet voice. "He can hear every word."_

_Kakashi would know. He's done this for much longer than I have. He stands beside me, hands in his pockets. _

"_They'll always be with us."_

::~::

The henge jutsu makes movement slightly more difficult, like pulling a limb through honey. But we manage to pull it off, and as we enter the heart of the country, lower and middle-class civilians scurry around us.

Neji leads us to the daimyo's mansion, and the guards hesitate about letting us in.

"Are you going to deny the daimyo's cousins?" I snap at one of the guards. "She won't be pleased with your behaviour."

Suddenly a brown-haired young man comes running out of the mansion. He wears glasses and simple clothing. His gaze passes by us and he looks over our shoulders nervously.

"Chishima-san!" Neji calls suddenly, and I remember that this was the man who hired us for our mission. "It is so good to see you again," he says, pushing his way past the guards. I follow him, giving the guards a disdainful look. Shikamaru trails behind me, and the guards probably mistake the boredom in his eyes for fatigue.

Neji must have managed to get the information to Chishima that we were the Konoha ninja, because the man suddenly switches from anxiety to relief. I frown. If he doesn't keep his emotions off his face, our cover will be blown.

"This is my wife, Hanako, and one of our servants."

"A pleasure to meet you, madam," Chishima says, taking my hand. Despite his gentle touch, I wince as my jutsu threatens to disappear.

"Please show us to Toki-chan," I say imperiously, "I didn't come here to be apprehended in a courtyard."

I feel guilty for my tone at once because the man pales visibly before leading us into the mansion. I bite my lip, but Shikamaru nods at me.

_It's for the mission. _

He leads us to a room and slides the door open for us.

"You wait outside," I say to Shikamaru in the same tone. He almost rolls his eyes at me, but he understands what I'm doing. I can't let my disguise slip, not yet, because there could be people listening in on our conversation. He should stay outside to keep a lookout.

We enter the room and Chishima slides the door closed behind us.

There are two people in the room – a beautiful woman who I assume is the daimyo, and an older man with a strange mustache is by her side. Both are kneeling at a table with a teapot and teacups. Chishima bows to them and we incline our heads before kneeling at the table across from them.

"Neji," I say quietly, and he nods. His henge jutsu weakens considerably, and his Byakugan is very much visible. I marvel once again at the kekkei genkai.

After a few moments, he nods again, and both of us dispel our disguises.

"I'm very sorry for my treatment of you earlier," I say immediately to Chishima. "We needed to get inside quickly without drawing too much attention, and I didn't know how to do it otherwise."

"Oh no," Chishima says, looking horrified, "don't be sorry. Again, we're so relieved that you Konoha ninja are willing to help us. You are truly very noble young shinobi!"

"Toki-sama, Komei-sama," Neji says, bowing his head again, and I follow suit.

"Neji-kun," the woman acknowledges warmly as Chishima pours us tea. She has hair that is a beautiful shade of violet and an elegant face. "It is so good to see you again. Is … is Naruto-kun here on the mission too?"

"I'm afraid not. I am the only one from the mission last time. This is Kiyomi," he says, gesturing towards me. "And our teammate Shikamaru is keeping watch outside. Kiyomi will be disguised as your cousin, and I her husband."

Despite myself, I gulp at his words. Peeking out of the corner of my eye, I realize he really is quite handsome. He possesses very aristocratic features and a kind of coolness that I could never pull off.

I slap myself mentally. I shouldn't be ogling a teammate!

Concentrate on the mission. Concentrate on the mission.

"We are very glad to see you here," says the man beside her in a low, gravelly voice. "I am Komei, Senior Advisor to the daimyo. We have been plagued with troubles for a few months now, and there have been uprisings to overthrow Toki-sama, despite her selfless dedication to this country."

I study the woman's face. She can't be thirty – maybe in her mid-twenties – and her beauty is striking. Perhaps it was due to her frail looks that made others believe she was inept at her job.

"Security has been tightened ever since one of our guards was attacked two months ago. He fell into a coma and has been sent to the Sunagakure to be treated by better medical-nin. Several other guards have been attacked while guarding the daimyo's residence, but so far nothing drastic has occurred."

"Nothing drastic!" Chishima exclaims in suddenly, and I turn to him in surprise. "Komei-sama, somebody tried to kill you!"

Neji's face is intent on Komei's, and I know something is going on in his mind.

The older man waves a dismissive hand. "Toki-sama has not yet been attacked, but we fear that the time is coming. We beseech you to try and find out what is going on, and to protect Toki-sama from harm."

He bows to us with humility.

"Kiyomi," Neji murmurs suddenly, and I notice his body is tense. "Get ready."

_For what?_ And the words are on the tip of my tongue, but the tone of his voice scares me. There must be something wrong.

The tea in the cups is vibrating suddenly as my hands tense and chakra flows through me.

Suddenly, there's a yell outside and Shikamaru's form crashes through the sliding door and he slides to a still, stony stop.

I know, I haven't updated in a while, but that was because I was working on _Remnants of the Sky_, which seems to be much more popular T-T Review, favourites and follows – feedback in general keep me going, as shallow as it sounds. I do enjoy writing for the sake of writing but the lack of interest in this story is very disappointing :( However, I did read a Neji fanfic that … how do I put it … "rekindled my love" for Neji and so I'm continuing with this. 

Ah, the part about Neji's voice being lovely, I actually mean that T-T One of the first things that struck me about this character was that the voice actor had an exceptionally attractive voice 3 Anyone else think so? No? Awe … :( 

Please R&R. I'm very interested to hear genuine opinions about this story, how I can improve it, what is adequate about it, and in general any constructive criticism. 

Thanks for reading!

-Jennifer *hugs*


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